Exxon: Come here little graduate, be our friend… *evil grin*

So this just popped up in my email inbox, attempting to arouse my interest in a graduate career scheme:

ExxonMobil aspires to the highest standards of integrity, safety, environmental and social responsibility.

Yes, of course they do, only the highest standards. Just who are they trying to appeal to?

Anyone who cares about such values is undoubtedly going to know just how far Exxon are from them (bribing scientists to deny climate change, numerous environmental disasters, the current bully boy tactics with Venezuela, and on and on and on….). So what’s the need for this sheen of acceptability?

More to the point, now that everyone claims such values to be at the heart of their business, how can a potential employee decide whether you’re committed to the cause or just to the bullshit?